Indian Startup, Boeing's Liquid Robotics to Co-Develop Autonomous Surface Vessels
In a major development for India's maritime and defence technology industry, an Indian startup and an American firm are going to co-develop and co-manufacture autonomous surface vessels (ASVs), which is the first such partnership between an Indian startup.
Boeing's subsidiary, Liquid Robotics, has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Indian unmanned systems startup Sagar Defence Engineering Pvt Ltd to create cutting-edge ASV technology. The alliance is in line with the joint US-India defence industrial cooperation roadmap and forms part of the larger Autonomous Systems Industry Alliance (ASIA) initiative to expand industry partnerships.
"This partnership is an important milestone in US-India defence industrial collaboration, with a clear emphasis on improving undersea domain awareness," Boeing said. The program is anticipated to enhance India's strengths in the maintenance, repair, overhaul (MRO), and sustainment of autonomous maritime platforms, potentially unlocking export opportunities in the region".
Boeing highlighted that pursuing autonomous underwater ability would speed progress in next-gen defence technologies. The partnership would concentrate on fabrication, system functionality, ocean operations, and putting in place an MRO for the Wave Glider ASV platform.
Terming the growth as a sign of strengthening of US-India relationship and enormous possibilities for enhanced partnership, Salil Gupte, President, Boeing India and South Asia, stated that the new agreement is part of its endeavor to co-develop and co-produce strategic systems in India and fully reflects the collaborative vision espoused in the US-India Joint Leaders Statement of last month.
Shane Goodenough, Liquid Robotics CEO, highlighted the strategic value of the Wave Glider ASV in the Indo-Pacific theatre. "This platform plays a significant role in augmenting tactical readiness and is an important enabler of US-India defence cooperation", he stated.
Captain Nikunj Parashar, the Founder of Sagar Defence Engineering, described the partnership as a significant leap towards innovation in India's defence sector. "This partnership is the best of US and Indian defence capabilities coming together to co-develop cutting-edge technologies such as the Wave Glider. It reiterates our joint vision of addressing complex maritime challenges to improve global security", he added.
The Wave Glider, designed by Liquid Robotics, is the most seasoned and tested Uncrewed Surface Vehicle (USV). It runs solely on wave and solar power, offering continuous operations for multiple months with real-time data and communications for various applications.
